Leather goods experience a last minute hike in sales at DITF
Leather bags on display at the DITF
This year, 587 stalls and pavilions have been set up at the fair. Forty-two of them belong to companies from 17 countries
Vendors, selling leather goods at the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF), said their sales have finally picked up after a slow two weeks at the fair.
“At first the sales were slow but young customers have been window shopping for a while before they committed to buying our products.” one exhibitor told the Dhaka Tribune.
Some stalls attributed the cold wave to the lull in sales.
Md Abdul Malek, a retail manager of RFL Walkar Footwear, said leather items such as shoes, loafer, sandals, vanity bags, purses, belts, wallets, among others, were available at their stall.
He said they were offering an array of leather products at reasonable prices with up to 50% discount.
“We have been getting a good response from the beginning but it is lower than our expectations. But right at the end of the fair, we were able to attract buyers with our new designs, variety and the quality of our product. We hope the sales keep rising by the end of the fair,” he said.
Tanjila Akter, a sales executive of Thai Gallery’s 40 stall, said they, too, were trying to attract customers with a range of exported leather products including vanity bags and purses.
“We are offering up to 20% discount,” she said.
Tanjila said most of the visitors at the stall were young people and housewives. “Some students also come here but they purchase few products,” she said, adding: “We did not get a good response as per our expectation until last 20 days but we expect the sales to go up in the coming days.”
A group of college students, who were loitering at the fair said they had gone there to spend times with friends and take a look at this year’s collections.
“I bought a leather bag and two purses with 20% discount,” one of them said. “We also bought some food.”
Biplop, a salesman for Red Orgin of Partex Group, said people were buying their leather blazers and jackets more following the recent cold wave. “The young people like colourful items,” he said.
Mahmudul Islam, who was visiting the fair from Dhaka’s Maniknagar, said he had bought a blazer from the Partex stall at a reasonable price. “I visit the fair every year to purchase things that I like. I also bought some foodstuff, toys for my children and kitchenware,” he added.
This year, 587 stalls and pavilions have been set up at the fair. Forty-two of them belong to companies from 17 countries.
